A Cocco’s pizza delivery man managed to stop a crime and serve up a hot pie without breaking a sweat.
Tyler Morrell found himself smack in the middle of a car chase as he was delivering a pizza in Aston, Pennsylvania on Sunday.
The Cocco’s Pizza driver witnessed the tail end of a high-speed chase as he was about to hand off his delivery, but instead watched on in astonishment when a stolen car was driven onto a lawn across the street.
“The car just came up and beached doing like 75, he beached on the side of this person’s lawn and almost took out a couple of cars,” Morrell told WPVI-TV.
The suspected car thief sideswiped a telephone pole, visibly shaking it, then slowly drove across several lawns.
The woman Morrell was about to had the pizza to screamed that there was a high speed chase and ran back inside, but the Cocco’s Pizza driver moved closer to see the action.
Two squad cars caught up to the 17-year-old driver, who decided to flee on foot. Morrell, who was standing near the sidewalk watching, used his foot to put an end his escape.
“I started walking towards the road, but I couldn’t do anything with my hands because I’m holding the pizza, so I just stuck my leg out,” he explained.
The carjacker tripped over his well placed leg and went flying onto the person who ordered the Cocco’s pizza’s front lawn.
The suspect skidded a few feet before getting back to his feet, but it was just enough time for the pursuing officer to grab the young criminal.
Brookhaven Chief of Police Michael Vice told reporters that Morrell’s foot was crucial to stopping the crime.
“He gave us the help we needed, by tripping him it gave us the time to catch up with the gentleman,” he said.
“I’m pretty sick of seeing crime like that go on, especially half a mile down the road,” said Morrell. “So I was just ready to step up if they needed a hand I was there, or a foot.”
Both the 17-year-old driver, and 19-year-old passenger were arrested on Sunday afternoon. The pizza was delivered to its intended recipient wholly intact.
“In this case, this guy ultimately saved the day, and from what I hear the pizza was saved as well,” Vice remarked.
“I did as much as I could to prevent the cheese from sliding,” Morrell told Fox 29.
Brookhaven Police even offered him a job for his efforts. “Thank you sir for the assist!!! If you’re interested in a job we are always looking for good people,” the department wrote on Facebook.
Morrell set up a GoFundMe to give the local community, who had been inundating Cocco’s Pizza with calls about the incident, an “opportunity” to send him a tip.
He initially only set up a $100 goal, but has since raised more than $4,500. He’ll use the proceeds towards start up costs for his restaurant concept Morrell Cheesesteak Company, rather than applying to the police force.
